Vero: Uniting in Myth
by Abohrition
Summary: Bane/OC postTDKR Adeleigh has been unable to come to terms with her past, but when she saves a man unworthy, maybe it is she who should have the title. Rated M for Violence, Course language, and scenes of a sexual nature.
1. Prologue

_**Prologue**_

_I was born for this. I was bread for this. I was trained for this. All I know is this._ Was all the she could think as she approached the man in his slumber. At the ripe age of 13 she was far senior to the other people she had met in her life. They filled their lives with childish dreams, dreams she would never have. Dreams that consisted of unity and honesty. At least most people did, but not the person inside of her nor the man who lay asleep unaware of her presence. She strolled through the data she had in her mind about this man.

**Stephan Rimolov. **

**Aged- 47 years as of June 18.**

**Marital status- Divorced thrice, former spouses deceased.**

**Echelon- Upper.**

**Occupation- Quality transportation in an administrative and field standing.**

**CAH- Commanded/Designed/Participated in the slaughtering of 7,481 men in small villages in Siberia as well as abduction of 8,624 women to be beaten, raped, and sold. Those who were not sold were put to death by means of decapitation and/or impalement. Statistics are based only on known offences. **

**Status- At large due to political bribery.**

At that moment, she did not hesitate as she plunged a screw driver into his brain via ocular cavity. He meant to scream but it would not have helped him any, she was an expert. She had killed more men than words she had spoken, figuratively of course. But she was not done for he was not dead. She dragged the man out of his bed and strung him with the noose. She was beyond feeling physical strained for this was a common duty in her days with _Him._ Before properly stringing him up, she checked his vitals that she knew where perfectly fine, and pulled out her supplies to perform the natural duties in this kind of work. Making sure his finger prints could be found in the proper places on the chair, she strung him up completely and waited. Ten minutes later, she checked his vitals and concluded he was, in fact, as dead as his victims. She smiled to herself and recounted her data.

**Stephan Rimolov. **

**Aged- 47 years as of June 18.**

**Marital status- Divorced thrice, former spouses deceased.**

**Echelon- Upper.**

**Occupation- Quality transportation in an administrative and field standing.**

**CAH- Commanded/Designed/Participated in the slaughtering of 7,481 men in small villages in Siberia as well as abduction of 8,624 women to be beaten, raped, and sold. Those who were not sold were put to death by means of decapitation and/or impalement. Statistics are based only on known offences. **

**Status- Dead.**

The young girl left that night, the night of her last seven kills, but only after she recollected the number did she realize that 2,923 kills were not something that would not vanish with her.

* * *

_December 8, 2005 - Nepal_

He sat in the corner in sheer silence as he observed, like one does who does not see value in arbitrary conversation. He had heard this story many of times as it was one of the favourites among his men. Normally he did not condone such nonsense among his men in the lives they lead but this particular story had piqued his interest even in the days that he had none. This story is one of two halves of the young man he is today. He listened intently.

"She hasn't been heard from or about in years, she's a myth." A man among the lowest ranks remarked.

"You don't know that, about her being a myth. She could very well be one of the women we have walked by in life. She's a legend, but legends can be born in truth."

He laughed at this, not in disbelief but that he knew that to be all too true. He decided it was time to intervene. He knew they were becoming wound up and he demanded control be instilled in every one of them.

"That is enough. You, with the doubt. What is your name?" He asked, out of sheer curiosity.

"Barsad, sir." The low ranked man replied.

"Very well, do you really believe that she is a myth because you have not seen her?" He decided to roll with his curiosity.

"No sir, that is not the reason at all." The man replied.

"Than tell me, what is it that makes you dare decree her a myth?"

"For one thing, and one thing only sir. I have scoured through records upon records and there weren't any records of the deaths that she killed her supposed last kill for."

He contemplated this in his mind for a moment only to see if he could find doubt, but doubt did not come because he knew the flaws all to well. But he admired this young man for his audacity and decided to correct him out of respect and not snap his neck because, for all intents and purposes, he was still too disillusioned with paper trails and western technology. Bane himself had been born and raised without these things so he found himself a broader thinker.

"Do you really think in a country with bribed politicians and genocide that they would actually track the deaths of all those people?" He stared at his underling fully expecting him to bumble like an idiot but what surprised at what the response was.

"No, sir. Pardon my stupidity. I did not think on that one. I will surely make no further assumptions in regards to the matter."

"See to it that you don't Barsad. But always feel free to speculate. It is the best tool that we as humans have so long as we don't vocalize it."

With that Bane walked away and in his parting words, retained a loyal underling that would serve be his side through the years.

* * *

_Present Day - Gotham City_

Adeleigh Hagan was walking through the streets of the city torn apart by her disdain for herself. She passed dead corpses that had been there for days but she made no move to touch them. Death was not her strong suit, at least not anymore. Actually nothing was her strong suit. She was a ghost to the world. She lived off the grid but right in the heart of it as to appear to live a normal life. There was no life here.

*Cough*

Adeleigh turned her head to see a masked man huddled in the alley. Any normal person would have run but not her. She saw a man who is breaching death but can't quite achieve it. As she neared him she realized who it was. Bane. The mercenary who had tried to blow up the city. He looked up to her as if she was a fallen star, before coughing once again. She looked him over and saw several bleeding wounds. Wounds that would have killed a lesser man, but this man refused to die and she would not let him. She had heard the tales of the great and glorious Bane. The man. The myth. The monster. She would not kill him, but she would heal him, for if she didn't, she would have another death on her hands. Letting him die is the same as killing him. She helped him to his feet much to her displeasure. She was a large man, but she would have to be quick to avoid detection. The were close to the coast and she was already set to sail.


	2. Awake

**A/N: Hey there! So just thought I would let you all know that this story is ALMOST exclusively from Bane's POV. This chapter is deffinitely a different approach to Bane but don't worry, he changes with the story. **

**Reply to Guest: Thank you for the compliment, I like to think of my style as quite unique. **

**Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Make sure to read the A/N at the end.**

* * *

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

"What in Gods name is that annoying sound?" Not recognizing the voice coming out of his own mouth. He opened his eyes to see that he was in a small room filled with multiple light fixtures and medical equipment. Nothing looked familiar. He took a deep breath in and noticed that it was not hindered by the mask. Panic set into his mind as he felt pure agony course through him, but only for a moment. He then realized that the agony rested entirely in his head. _Do I have a head ache? _He looked down to his body and realized he had lost a significant amount of weight. Instead of his usual bulk of 320lbs of pure muscle, he guessed himself to be about 260lbs. That was still large compared to most men but not him. He went to move again but found it hard to do so. _Are my muscles beginning to atrophy? _This seemed like a foreign concept to him but not able to dismiss it he slowly started to move every muscle in his body.

"You seem to be staying awake this time." He heard from the open doorway. He looked up to see a rather curvaceous woman leaning against the wall with pain in her eyes. Bane wanted to jump up and snap her neck for speaking freely to him but those eyes, those eyes practically immobilized him. She was wearing generic clothing. Faded black jeans, a military green tank top and a black cardigan with white lace flats on her feet. None of it screaming intimidation but rather it screamed comfort and warmth. He then took her words into account. _This time…? _"What do you mean this time? Who are you? Why am I here?"

She gave a pained look inward that would have not been caught by most people but completely visible to him. _Why would she be sad right now?_

"You have woken momentarily a few times since being here." She made no move to answer where here was or who she was which irritated Bane. "But this is the longest you have been awake. Do you feel well rested?"

Bane thought at this for a moment. He felt fine aside from the pain of moving. "I feel perfectly rested, but you still have not answered my questions." He said sternly as if to intimidate her but she just remained with the expression she had donned before his statement.

"Who I am is not of any importance to you, it never has and it never will be. Think of me as a ghost. As for you, you are in a room with medical equipment hooked up to you. Do you really need to ask where you are? For someone who was able to co-ordinate a mass takeover of one of the largest cities in America, I had expected you to be much more observant." She looked away from him with an expression that was anything but fear. It more read as disappointment.

Bane was floored by her statement. _Did_ _she?… a pint sized woman with no visual strength just _mock_ me?_ He searched for a retort but was unable to extend it as by the time he looked back up to her she was gone. He hadn't heard her move nor had she dismissed herself like he was so accustomed to. _Hmmmm…._

* * *

The next time she appeared she was holding a satchel. She pulled the chair that was sitting against the wall in front of her and sat down all the while not even looking at him once. _It would be so easy to snap her neck… _She finally reached into the satchel and pulled out a bottle and handed it to him still not glancing at him. "What is it?"

He had asked as if he was in charge. She finally looked at him in dismay.

"It is sustenance. It will fuel your rehabilitation until you can eat solid food." He stared at her for a few minutes realizing that was all she was going to say. He glanced at the bottle and then realized he was actually quite hungry. He felt weak. He opened the bottle and took a big gulp before she took it right out of his hands. He gave her a death glare that did not phase her in the slightest. He continued to glare at her for a few minutes until she finally handed it back. He took the same big gulp and yet again, she took it right out of his hands. _The nerve of this woman!_ He waited for her to return it again and when she did he was ready to take hold of the bottle and not let go. He took a deep gulp and as she went to grab it, he grasped her wrist and went to yank it. He didn't get that far though. The next thing he knew, she jabbed a pressure point in his side that he didn't even know he had and everything went dark.

* * *

The next time he woke up, she was there with an angry scowl that would have made Satan himself cringe. There was fire in her eyes and he could feel the heat radiating off of her from three feet away. She handed him the bottle once again and this time he took a slow and shallow sip. She seemed contented with this action so he continued to sip slowly. After about half an hour of doing this, he finally finished and handed it back. She made no move to retrieve it. Instead she glanced at the garbage tin across the room. When he finally understood that she would not dispose of it for him, he growled. _Fucking woman… USE YOUR WORDS!_ But instead of yelling at her, he moved to get up and dispose of the bottle himself. It took him a while to get through the pain in his back as he rotated to hang his feet over the bed and stand up. Once his feet touched the ground he lifted himself up with his arms and went to stand but instead fell to the ground due to lack of strength in his legs.

"You have muscular atrophy, take it slow and steady, you are going to have to learn to walk all over again regardless." He looked at her with a confused furrow on his brow. He pulled himself up by his arms on the bed and slowly stood up on extremely shaky legs.

"Why am I learning to walk all over again? Where is my mask? The pain will come back soon without it and I dare say your standard pharmaceuticals will not do the trick…" He felt embarrassment flood through him as the words spilled out of his mouth. _Control yourself!_

"Your mask is no longer needed. The pain will come back but only temporarily. Now start walking. The only pain you will feel is your muscles tiring as you exercise them and regain your strength. As for why you are learning to walk again, when I fixed your back, you were paralyzed for the duration of the procedure. Not that it mattered seeing as you have been in a coma for close to seven months. Coma patients need time to readjust before they return to their lives." She was watching him with displeasure. "Didn't I tell you to walk?"

"I would advise you not to condescend to me. I assure you I may be weak right now, but it will not always be that way and I am one to hold a grudge." She chuckled at his threatening words. _The nerve of this woman!_ But Bane held his anger at bay and started to walk slowly. After two minutes and only five steps, he put the bottle in the tin and turned around. He felt the burning in his muscles and felt like he would fall at any moment. When he looked in front of his feet and saw that there was a walker opposite him, he shoved it away. He may have needed it, but his pride didn't. When he finally reached the bed, he looked up to the woman to see flickers of pride and sadness mingling in her face.

"Why do you not fear me?" He again was loosing control of his dialogue. While scolding himself, she looked into his eyes with determination.

"I do not fear anything, you nor death included. I have walked this world long enough that if I were to die today, I would welcome it with open arms. But I cannot let you die, nor can I leave you here. Once you are able, you will leave this place and leave me to my existence without a thought, as I am a ghost and ghosts are not the ones to be haunted." She spoke the words directly to his soul. He felt the hair on the back of his neck stand at attention. She was more than meets the eye and his curiosity was taking hold of him.

"So what shall I call you? Surely, Ghost is not your name but just the definition you hold yourself to. Just as Bane is not my name but that of which I am defined." _Damned mouth. _

"Your name may not be Bane, but it is what you are called. I have not told my name to any living being since I was thirteen years of age. It is a haunting name. You may call me…" She pondered this openly for a moment before she continued. "I may very well tell you my name but only in due time. I need a promise from you first." She looked at him expectantly.

Bane studied her with intent. Could he promise her anything? Would he keep his promise? Was she worth the hassle? Then again, she had taken care of him and even went as far to fix his back. _How did she even do that?_ Then he came to a conclusion. "Out of gratitude I will consider your request, but no smart man gives their word before he knows what it is he is intended to do." She seemed to ponder some more, but came to the conclusion that it would be okay to request this.

"I want you to give me your word that you will answer every and all questions I ask of you honestly. I do not like things to be left to speculation. So?"

_That's an easy one. _"Alright, you have my word."

"Why did you try to blow up Gotham?" She said as if it was the most casual question in the world, like she was asking what he takes in his coffee.

"I didn't. My intent was to liberate those that had been repressed. The bomb was merely a threat, not supposed to be used. How was I to know that Talia would quite literally push the button?" She looked angry.

"You should have known because she carried the button. Are you always so easily manipulated?"

"No. Not by most at least. Only Talia…" He said with pain in his voice.

She seemed to soften her glare at him until it was left to only a compassionate one. "Adeleigh Hagan." Banes senses perked at her words.

"What about her?" Bane could feel it rushing through him. The idea of speaking to someone about the very myth that shaped him in his life. The very thing that made him do what he does, liberate people. At least that is what he used to do. She was looking at him for a moment until she spoke. "Tell me why that name brings life to your eyes?"

"Because she is the one person in this world worth my thoughts. I never met her. She is thought to be a myth, but even a myth carries weight." Bane started to reminisce about the time he spent in the pit listening to the stories about her that the men told on sleepless nights. The same stories he told Talia as a child. Talia never appreciated the stories and saw the woman in them as weak for turning away from her actions. She once told him that a person like that does not turn away from their duty so easily. They do not have the ability to do so. Bane took that into account at the time but was never able to shirk the faith in the story.

He looked back to see that the woman was gone again and so he continued to reminisce. Adeleigh Hagan was a woman to admire. She stood by her morals and not once had she ever failed her duty. She may have disappeared but not after fulfilling her duties. He dreamed of what it would have been like to meet this woman while he coasted into a deep slumber.

* * *

"Get up." Bane awoke to hear the woman's voice calling out to him irritably. She handed him another bottle that she only described as sustenance and gave him a look as if to tell him to take it slow. Once he finally finished he made a move to get up and throw it out but she intercepted it and told him to sit for a moment in which he mindlessly listened. She tossed the bottle and exited the room. Just as he was about to lay back down, she came back in with a wheel chair. She motioned for him to get in and he almost lost it at her assumption that he couldn't take care of himself but he held back his anger and looked back to her.

"I am capable to making my own way thank you."

"No you are not. Now release yourself from your tubes and sit in the chair. You have a long and tiring day ahead of you and I don't need to have you collapsing before we even start. Now… get… in." Bane could tell she was getting irritated. He began unhooking everything from him without a thought until he noticed he had a tube running from his manhood. He flushed with embarrassment. _Did she…? _

"Pull it out." He did so slowly as it was quite painful. When he was finally able, he stood up and she quickly stepped to him and took off his robe, leaving him as naked as the day he was born. She set the robe on the wheelchair and motioned for him to sit down so he did while covering his most secret of places. He was well endowed but he was not ready for anybody but him to be able to see it. He heard her chuckle as she pushed him through the doors and down lengthy hallways for what seemed to be hours but in reality it must have only been about twenty minutes. When they approached to double doors, she pressed a button and they opened to reveal a large pool. She walked through the doors and only halted a few steps from the water.

"Get in." He looked at her as if she had two heads. But continued to look around for a ladder. Seeing one at the other end of the pool he moved to get up to start the long and painful walk ahead of him. He heard her clear her throat.

"If you think you are ready to take the ladder than you are sorely mistaken. Your best bet is to just slide in." Bane grumbled but did as she said.

"What is the purpose of this anyways?" She looked irritated but waited until he was in the pool to respond.

"The point is that before you try to build your muscles back, you need to improve your motor skills. The water provides zero gravity that can let you walk freely while still exercising." It was then when she herself started to disrobe. When she was finally completely free of clothing, he took her in. She was tall for a woman, maybe standing at around 5'9. She was very thin but he could tell she was all muscle. She had pale skin that looked smooth to the touch with lone freckles at random parts of her body. She had ample breasts that were much larger than any other woman he had ever lain with before, and long legs that he could tell had taken more than enough steps in their life. She had multi coloured hair with natural browns, reds, and blondes that ran down to her brown coloured nipples and then some. It was long and full of natural waves. She had a flat nose and a rather large bottom lip. Long eye lashes and… _Wow… _He scolded himself for not noticing before. Her eyes. The had three colours. Ocean blue surrounded the outside and a yellow like gold surrounded the pupil, but it was the green that filled the other more dominant space that mesmerized him. The were like the most resilient emerald green he had ever seen. He had though his eyes were the greenest they could be, but he had been proven wrong. She had notice his stare at her but it did not phase her, it was so natural to expose herself to him. He made it his mission to figure her out. Then she hopped in beside him.

After four tiring hours of her making him do exercises in the pool all the while constantly putting her hands on him to make sure he was doing it right or correcting his stance, she let him swim quite freely. After about twenty minutes she instructed him to get to the ladder and that she would bring the chair around to pick him up. When he got to the other end and held onto the ladder, he watched as she was drying off and clothing herself. She eventually made it to him with the chair and just left it there for him to figure out. After a few minutes of struggling, he finally managed to hoist himself up the ladder and into the chair. His body was shaking and he was so tired but she just started walk.

"Where are you going?" Bane asked in complete confusion. _I don't know where the hell I am going…_ She turned to him and looked at him like he was a child being reprimanded for eating one too many cookies.

"I am leading the way. You are fully capable to moving the chair yourself, just don't roll it into the water, I don't feel like getting it out." She turned back and started walking again. He started to move the chair and once he got the hang of it, he sped up a little to catch up to her. They walked for about twenty minutes until they got to his room. She hesitated before walking in.

"Do you like your room?" She inquired. "Do you think you would enjoy a more comfortable one? One with a normal bed or is the hospital one fine?"

"This one suits me just fine, but I wouldn't mind a more comfortable bed…" He thought about all those tubes and decided he spoke too soon. "I would appreciate a different room, one that didn't have all the medical equipment…" He felt as though he was going to get reprimanded after sounding so inconsiderate.

She looked at him questioningly. "You think that you can get to and from the bathroom on your own? Bathe yourself as well?" From any other person he would have hit them, but she said it as a real question and not of mockery.

"Yes I do. I do thank you for caring for me though." He looked at the ground. _What is this woman doing to me? I am Bane! I am powerful and I do not shy away from a mere woman! _

"Alright, lets go then." She led him down halls for another ten minutes before they came to a place that seemed to become warm. The walls were made from dark mahogany and the floors were carpeted. _Welcoming…_ Was all he thought could describe it. She led him to a large room with a four poster bed and a window to look out of. There was a bathroom attached to the room with a large claw tub and a brown curtain hanging around it. Over all, it was the most beautiful place he would ever get to rest in.

"I'm sure you can look around for yourself. I will bring you some more adequate clothing and stock the refrigerator with sustenance until you are able to eat solid foods. Towels are in the bathroom and blankets are folded in the closet. I will be back momentarily." She spoke so plainly as if she wasn't talking to him, but to an idiot. He watched as she walked out of the room and disappeared around the corner. _She is so… intriguing. _When she returned she had the same satchel before but another larger one as well. She pulled out multiple bottles and put them in the fridge followed by setting the larger bag on the dresser. "Clothing is in the bag as well as toiletries and other necessities. Get comfortable. In a few days, you can have some solid food to eat while you continue to drink those. As always, take it slow. If you abuse your body, it will abuse you back. I will see you tomorrow when I take you back to the pool. Until then." She turned to leave but stopped and turned around again.

"Who is this Talia to you? I have to speculate that she is the woman who paraded around as a Miss Miranda Tate?" Banes fist immediately clenched but just as quickly loosened again.

"You are correct. She was a… companion of a sort. I raised her for some time before I helped her escape. She wasn't always so… miserably horrible." Bane couldn't believe that he was saying these things. He was not one to voice his thoughts so freely but he gave her his word so he decided it was only best to endure. "She was born in the pit,"

"Ahhh yes, the pit. Horrible place, only ever been there once, but I am sure you would never have known." She had that sad and pained expression on her face yet again.

"As I was saying, when her mother was murdered, I took care of her, protected her, and eventually even freed her. She was so… precious at a time to me, more than gold. But she is dead and it troubles me to know…" Bane stopped speaking in fear that he had revealed too much.

"To know what?" Bane felt the tears well in his eyes for the first time in his entire life. _What is happening to me? _Bane decided that this was the only time he would ever get into this conversation and he had given this woman his word so he figured he might as well just get it over with.

"It pains me to know that she turned into the very kind of person I loathe."

"I hope you know it is not a reflection of you." She said while her voice slightly wavered. _Does she care? … Of course not… Why would she? She couldn't… Well she obviously values me in some way… she did save my life… No. She has something else on her mind, something perhaps related?_

"Why do you care?" Bane asked bitterly.

She glanced at him with pain in her eyes before replying. "Because I was not raised to be the person I am today. I turned my back on who I was nurtured to be. If I reflected that of the man who raised _me,_ I would have killed you in that alleyway or perhaps even long before then. Anyways, I must leave you now. I have matters to attend to." She turned and walked away but didn't get very far before Bane called after her.

"You never told me your name!" He so desperately wanted to know.

"Yes I did." She said as she continued to face away from him. She then returned to walking and was gone in a matter of seconds.

He grabbed a bottle and laid in his bed after throwing the blankets atop of it. He thought back to their conversation and couldn't remember her telling him her name. _Who is she?! _He was screaming internally. After finally going through the conversation one last time, it donned on him. She did tell him her name…

_Adeleigh Hagan. _He had finally met her, and now he was able to put face to the myth. _But after all I have done, why did she save me? She used to kill people like me. People who kill without care. People who have absolutely no regard for human life… _More and more questions racked his mind as he drifted into sleep. The last words he thought ringing in his mind. _She can't be real…_

* * *

**Another A/N: Bane wont be a softy in later chapters, at least not to the others as that finally make an appearance later in the story.**

**Do you like that Bane is being a bumbling idiot when it comes to this woman? **

**This story is going to be moving really fast as they get to know each other in the beginning. It will eventually slow down once we get to the arc of the story but for now, they need to get to know each other and you need to get to know them.**

**Thanks for reading! Please R/R and hopefully follow. You can expect the chapters to all be roughly this length from now on. The next on will be up before Friday. I'm having a great time writing this story so I hope you all like it just as much as I do! **


	3. Let me stay

**A/N: I know I said before friday but hey, it _is _friday. Haha. **

**Enjoy the chapter. This one moves really fast!**

* * *

AdeleighPOV

Adeleigh was staring at the ceiling aimlessly for the better part of an hour while she got stuck in her own head. _I have made a huge mistake… I never should have brought him here… _When she pictured Bane lying in his bed not but a few doors down the hall, she felt a slight pang in her stomach. _What was I thinking! _She scolded herself. Bane was the first person to ever get her thoughts all up in a bunch. _But who could blame me?_ Bane was all man. From the scars that marred his body, to the low grumble of his voice. He smelled divine, at least to her anyways. He smelled of dirt and sweat and cinnamon with the lightest hint of vanilla. Worst of all, that was how he smelled naturally. It wasn't cologne because she hadn't given him any, and it sure as hell wasn't a temporary thing. Even when he got out of the pool he smelled just as heavenly, and when he worked out, it was all the more potent and distinguished. _Mmmmm… get a hold of yourself Adeleigh. You are not some awe struck puppy. You are Adeleigh Hagan. You are the worst kind of person, and you don't deserve one happy moment even if it comes to you in reverie. _Adeleigh immediately snapped herself out of it. She was right. She deserved nothing. And what better way to stop myself from temptation. _I think it's time for him to go… _Adeleigh felt the pang in her chest this time, only fuelling her resolve.

* * *

BanePOV

Many mornings had come and gone since the truth had been revealed, all the while Bane couldn't shake his thoughts of the nights he had spent pining over this woman. The days were always very much the same, she came to wake him, she took him to the pool, he exercised for four hours and then they would talk. As of two weeks ago, things were starting to progress. He still spent four hours in the pool but then she would bring him to an actual gym in the lower levels of the building and he would work out to regain his strength. He was finally eating solid food without it unsettling his stomach and sometimes she even took it upon herself to enjoy a meal with him. Things had been, for lack of a better word, nice. But Bane had a bad feeling about this day. It was like there was something looming over his head and he just couldn't figure out what it was.

Adeleigh strolled into his room with a look of surprise to see that he was already awake. She gave him a nod telling him to get ready to start the daily routine, and swiftly left the room.

_What is with this woman?_ Bane couldn't figure out why she was so quiet with him. Even when they spoke she was quick but to the point with her questions and answers. She never seemed to want to indulge in the mindless drabble that Bane was accustomed to from most of the few people that he spent more than five minutes with.

By the time Adeleigh was back, Bane was ready and set to start his day. "I suppose you know the way by now?" Her question had caught him off guard. _Is she not accompanying me today?_ Bane just nodded and stared at her waiting for her instructions. _What is wrong with ME? Since when do I take instruction for anybody? _Bane was starting to feel a little more than angry with himself for being so complacent. Deciding that he had to remedy his behaviour, he spoke.

"I do know the way but I don't think I will be going today." She looked at him with a blank stare and than sighed. "Okay. Then I don't suppose you would be willing to help me pack up your stuff? You've regained your strength and are more than capable of caring for yourself. I believe it's time that you left me to myself." Banes stomach turned at her words. _She wants me to leave? What did I do…? _Bane was pondering to himself as to why he was offended by the notion of her kicking him out. She had been so kind to him and he had done nothing to offend, at least he didn't think he did. _Then why am I still so reluctant to leave? _Bane continued to ponder these words until reality knocked him right in the gut. Over the last month or so he had grown quite fond of this woman and really didn't want to leave her side. Sure, he already knew that he was more than physically attracted to her. She was the definition of perfection. Her body was a dream and her voice carried like it was the sweetest song he'd ever heard. But it was who she seemed to be that brought him in. She was kind and yet harsh, personable and yet distant, she opened up her home to a man that the world had come to hate even though she was quite the recluse. He stumbled out of his thoughts when he heard her clear her throat. He glanced at her and noticed that she had already finished packing his stuff and was holding the satchel out to him.

"Where am I supposed to go?" Bane blurted before he could get a handle on his desperation, but before she could respond with what was undoubtedly words explaining that it was none of her concern, he continued. "Did I do something wrong? Did I offend you in any way?" Bane felt something creep into his face, it was not something Bane had ever felt before but then he realized that it was embarrassment.

"You did nothing wrong. In fact, you did everything right. I am in no way offended. I brought you here so that you could regain your health and you have, so I do not see the need for you to be here. As for where you are supposed to go, I have no idea. I could always…" Bane felt the trace of a smile set upon his lips. _She's going to let me stay…_ "What do you plan to do with your life? Are you going to go back to your 'liberating' ways or are you going to try to make a new start to your life?" The smile he had worn was long gone by now. Bane hadn't thought of any of these things. He had been so wrapped up in the fact that he was in her presence that all other things had slipped his mind. "I don't supposed I could make a new start at my life because I only know one thing." She frowned at his remark, then closed her eyes and let out a long sigh.

"Alright, then I will give you something. But you need to promise me one thing." Bane stared at her, wondering what it was, but knew that it wouldn't be all that bad judging by the promise she had asked of him before. He nodded his consent and she strode over to the desk. She scribbled something onto a piece of paper and walked back over to him. She pulled out a small package from his satchel and placed the piece of paper inside. Then she looked up at him and held it in her hand close to her body as if to protect it from him.

"You must promise to never come back here again. Never talk about your time here. And certainly never breathe my name to anybody. Especially to the man I am sending you to. When you get there, do not ask around for him. He will find you. All you have to do is go and find the worst kind of man you can think of and… put him in his place. Get yourself noticed and he will find you." She looked at him after she spoke and something that could only be regret flashed over her face but only for a moment. Bane nodded.

"I need more than a nod. This is not something to take lightly. You breathe a word and I promise you, I will not wait for you to fall asleep before I string you up and watch you die." Bane swallowed. He knew she wasn't kidding and for some reason that truly scared him. Despite how tiny she was, she was a legend and somehow fate always favours the legends.

"You have my word. It will be as though you never met me. Although, is there any way I can convince you to not send me away?" Bane tried with his last hopeful breath to appeal to her, but it went unnoticed. Instead she gave him a light smile and slipped the package into his satchel. He went to grab it and walk away but her hand grabbed his wrist. It wasn't a hard grasp but it had purpose. _Did she change her mind? _Bane turned to look at her and instead of what he had hoped to hear, what happened next was far better.

"Before you go, will you say goodbye?" It wasn't the words she said that made his stoney heart beat a bit faster, but the way she said it and the actions that followed after. She took a couple steps toward him to close the distance. The gently placed her soft lips upon his cheek. Bane eyes closed shut instantly, then opened when she pulled away. Bane looked into her eyes and saw a semblance of hurt. _Maybe she really doesn't want me to leave?_ Bane saw her close her eyes and then go to kiss his cheek again but before he could stop himself, Bane tilted his head and brushed his lips against hers. Once he realized what he had done, he expected her to back away and punish him for his brazen actions. But that is not what happened. Instead, she shifted her weight and pressed against his lips, deepening the kiss. Slowly they started to massage each others lips with their own. Bane was feeling dizzy and floaty and yet had the most intense adrenaline rush he had ever experienced all at the same time. She was majestic. They didn't part for air once until they managed to gasp if only for a brief moment while they opened each others mouths to further deepen the kiss and mix their tongues to dance around with each other. Bane felt her practiced hands move up his body and atop his shoulders before clasping at the back of his neck pulling him down to her. He instinctively put one hand on the small of her back pulling her tight against him and the other hand went up to wind in her hair. They continued like this for what seemed like only a moment but must have been close to ten minutes before she disappointed Bane by pulling away from him and releasing his hold on her.

She stepped back and looked him in the eye. "Goodbye, Bane." Was all she said before leading him out to the garage and gave him the keys to a vehicle that was already waiting. He walked to the car and chanced to look back at her. She had a look of sadness on her face. Bane wanted to say goodbye, but before he could say the words, he noticed that he was on the road and she was back in the distance. When he finally made it to a town, he pulled over and looked in his satchel. It had all his clothes in it as well as a package that contained close to $10,000, a piece of paper with the name of a town he had never been to, and falsified passports, drivers licences and other pieces of I.D. She even went as far to provide a card for universal health care. _This woman gave me everything… and I couldn't even say goodbye…._

* * *

Bane approached a dingy sign that had the faded name of the very town he was searching for. _Tirana… hmmm. Never been. Well, never been to Albania. _Bane wanted to turn around and go back to his newfound… _what is she to me? All she did was throw me away when all I wanted was to stay… _Bane felt the bitterness rise in his mind but he knew better than to let it get to him. He gave his word and he was just going to have to do his best to push her from his mind. Bane was reaching the depths of the city and found a place that could have passed as a bar but looked more like a opium den. He pulled the car over and second guessed himself before he decided that all he had to do was go in and knock someone out. He walked up to the bar and grabbed a drink, whiskey and cola, though he knew he had no intentions of taking anything more than a sip. He took a seat at the corner of the room and just watched the people show their true colours. There was a man making quite the spectacle of himself by throwing cat calls and getting grabby at every woman that walked by. Most of the onlookers gave dirty looks but for some reason they wouldn't step up. Even the waitresses bit their tongue and continued on as if it was part of their job. Banes anger was pumping at this man but he wasn't about to do anything that might ruin his chances of getting noticed. She had said the worst kind of person he could find and he wasn't about to assume the man was going to take things further.

Hours had passed by until a young woman, who looked to be about 18 or 19 walked in the front door. She looked like she had seen hell. Her mouth was bloody and she was drenched from head to toe from what Bane assumed to be rain. She was clearly a tourist or she would not have come to this place to seek solace. She approached the bar and asked the bartender to use the phone. The bartender pretended not to speak English after he got a glare from the obnoxious man that had been pestering the waitresses. The small girl went to turn and leave but the disgusting man who Bane was sure was called Arkage stepped up and asked her what was wrong.

"Is everything okay, miss?" Bane grimaced at the mans feigned kindness.

"Well… no it's not. I was cycling around when these men jumped out of nowhere and attacked me. I think I lost them but I just need to call the police and find my own way home. They scared me pretty ba…" The young woman stopped talking as I watched three men walk into the bar and stare at her with sickly looks. "Them! It was them!" Apparently the young woman found her voice again.

"Them, impossible. They're _very_ good friends of mine." Judging from the look that the Arkage man was giving the young girl, he figured the happenings were actually planned. Then Arkage made a simple whistle and the men advanced on the young girl. _So he's the ring leader…_

Bane looked at the bartender and the waitresses but they just looked at the ringleader in fear. Bane was seething with so much rage that he couldn't stop himself. "Leave the young lady be, will you?" Bane said rather loudly but calmly from the dark corner. Everyone turned to look at him but Bane just stared down at his still full glass and pondered what was about to happen. The ring leader just started laughing and motioned for his men to continue. Banes response to the ring leaders actions was to break the glass and throw half of it at the man that was closest to the girl. The sharp point to the broken glass dug right into the mans neck and Bane knew it would only be a few minutes before the man bled out. Bane remained calm and just kept looking at the glass remaining on the table. "I said.. And I don't like repeating myself… to leave the young lady be." Bane looked up and glared at the ring leader who had a look of pure naked rage upon his face.

"And who might you be to tell _me _what to do? Hmm?" The man was angry but Bane was not phased.

"I am simply a man with a dislike for men of your… sort." Bane let some of his anger add a bite to the last few words.

"Ha! And you think you can beat _**me**_?" The man motioned for his men to continue and turned his back towards Bane. _Wrong move you slimy arrogant prick… _

Bane was up and over in three seconds. Another five and he had broken the necks of both of the ring leaders lackeys. Bane positioned himself between the girl and everyone else in the bar. The ring leader no longer had a look of naked anger on his face but instead was sporting a look of pure and naked fear. "Wh.. Wh… who are you?"

The man was trembling and Bane was sure that everyone else in the bar was in amazement to see a man bring their ring leader to shaking in his shoes.

"I am…" Bane thought for a moment and then remembered the name on the passport and I.D's that Adeleigh had given him. "Toomas Bronson." Bane took a step towards the man who had royally ticked him off. "And who, I ask, are you?" Bane had long let his anger show in his voice as he mocked the frightened man.

"I… I… Arkage… Owner of this fine establishment…" The man clearly hoped that his standing as the owner would dissuade Bane from snapping his neck, but Bane gave no inclination to give a damn.

"Well… _Arkage… _I suppose you know what I am about to do then, don't you?" Bane listened as the man started to speak for his life but Bane silenced him. "For a man who moments ago was filled with so much pride, begging comes so naturally to you." Bane closed the distance swiftly and held the mans face in his hand while he spun himself around so he was behind the man and the man was facing his would be victim. "Apologize to this nice young woman." The girl was shaken but stood her ground and looked at the ring leader expectantly.

"I.. I'm sorry ma'am. Please! Make him sto…" Bane snapped his neck before he was through pleading with the girl.

"Everybody… may I have your attention." Bane started and grinned smugly when he noticed all eyes were trained on him. "The events of this evening were quite despicable. Not one of you moved to help this young woman, you just watched with stupidity. Now… I am sure I don't have to tell you, but I will, it is just as bad to stand by and watch an offence such as this as it is to be the one committing said offence. So, I am going to leave and take this nice young woman wherever she needs to go. But before I leave, you are going to drench this place and leave swiftly and then watch as it burns to the ground. Am I understood?" Bane looked questioningly at everyone and when he quirked his eyebrow they started to scamper about emptying bottles of alcohol over every surface. One even went to the back and brought in a container of gasoline pouring it everywhere. Bane bent down and pulled the lighter off of the ring leaders dead body. "Okay, time to clear out." Once he was satisfied that everyone had filed out, he broke a window and threw the now lit lighter into the building. The flames were instant and Bane new it was time to leave. He led the girl away and to his vehicle that Adeleigh gave him. The sight of it made his heart break, but only a little. He then opened the door for the young girl and helped her in. When he got into the vehicle he turned to the young girl and started the car. The girl was obviously frightened but not as much as she was before. "Where am I taking you? And give me the real place because I don't want to hear that something happened while you were sneaking home." The girl flushed a bit but looked at him and swallowed.

"I am staying with my family at the inn on the hill on the west side of the city."

Bane realised he had not been here long enough to scope out his surroundings of the city. "Can you direct me there?"

The young girl nodded and pointed in the direction they needed to go.

When he finally dropped the girl off and waited for her to call him from her room, Bane cursed himself. _He was not a bad enough man… I blew it for the virtue of a young woman… _His phone rang and he answered quickly.

"I made it to my room just fine. Thank you, so much…"

"It was not a problem. I did what any good person would do. There is no need for thanks miss… I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name?"

The line was silent before he heard the young woman sigh. "My name is Aria. Aria Ambislov." Bane recognized the name, from where, he had no idea but he also didn't care to find out.

"Well, Aria. Sleep well. Try to forget the horrors." Then Bane shut his phone down and left.

* * *

In bed that night, he received a message from a phone number he didn't recognize. When he read the text, he knew it was _her. _It was Adeleigh.

-Delete this after you read it. It appears that you are on his radar. That man who will come find you goes by the name of Ivan Ambislov. You've met his daughter already it appears. Sleep well my Bane. - A

The words ran through his mind and he imagined her saying them aloud in that melodic voice of hers. _My Bane… My Adeleigh…_


	4. The Call

**A/N: Sorry for taking so long! This is an extremely short chapter but I had to post something. This wasn't going to be the next chapter, I am still working on it, but I cut some parts out of it and threw the ideas into this. It's nothing spectacular but I thought I needed to post at least SOMETHING! Haha. **

**Sidenote: If any of you are Riddick fans, I am also writing a story about our favourite Furyan! I'm only one chapter in but check it out!**

**Disclaimer! I own nothing except Adeleigh Hagan and any other random characters I create along the way! **

* * *

_Talia was on top of him with a knife to his neck. "You failed me my friend." She had a sick and twisted grin on her face. "You were so caught up with protecting me that you didn't even realize that I was no longer your darling little angel. You were a fool!" She was spitting the words out at him like they were acid. And every word she spoke was slowly tearing out a piece of his already broken heart. "Talia, I should have done better." His voice was choked with emotion. "I should have saved you…" Bane was on the verge of taking his own life out of pure sorrow. "Ha! I left you to die, and you almost did. There was no way you could have reached me in time! I wouldn't have let you save me from the bomb!" She was laughing with a thick lining of insanity. _

"_No Talia, not from the bomb, from yourself… I should have taken you with me… away from him…" Bane was just about to bite his tongue so that he would just bleed to death when he heard her voice._

"_Bane, my darling Bane, come back to me. Make me yours." She was on top of him instead of Talia. Her breath was on his mouth. He reached up his head and took her lips in his. The kiss was exactly how he remembered. Deep, comforting, and warm. His heart clenched and he embraced her into his body. Then the knife pierced him, it was Talia again and she had driven a knife into his heart. The last words he heard before everything went black were from Talia. "You do not belong to her. You are mine, and you shall suffer."_

* * *

He woke with a startled breath. The dream had been haunting him since he left Adeleigh. His guilt of failing Talia had a firm grip on his subconscious and he couldn't shake it. He wanted desperately to let go of Talia and to cling once more to _His Adeleigh._ He pulled out his phone and sent a quick message to Adeleigh.

'I know I promised, but you haunt me. I must see you again…'

'I am sorry my love, but I am long since gone and must remain so. Maybe one day, but not any day soon… You haunt me too. -A'

_My love?_ He shook it off. She couldn't possibly love him. It was just a term of endearment, so he figured he could say it back.

'One day I will find you My Adeleigh, my darling, my love. I will be with you.'

Silence. Bane was panicking. He waited for around five minutes before finally his phone rang.

"Hello…"

"Who is this?" He demanded. He had only heard a whisper and could not decipher the voice. He had promised to protect Adeleigh so he had to be extremely careful.

"It's Aria. I need to speak with you…"

Banes heart sunk. He had hoped for Adeleigh. But then he remembered the message from Adeleigh about Aria being the daughter of the one he was seeking.

"Speak then. I will listen." Bane replied calmly.

"Ahem. So… Remember the other day, you helped me? I told my father and he would like to meet you.."

"Why? Who is your father?" Bane already knew the answer but wanted to gage the situation. She continued on.

"Well… See… My father is a sort of… business man… when I told him what happened, he took an interest in you. I think he would like to offer you a job maybe…"

"Well, Aria, you still have not told me who he is. There are many business men in the world." He paused. He decided to push a little further. "What would this job entail anyways?"

Aria cleared her throat. "Listen, sir. I can't really tell you anything like that… that is for you and my father to discuss. I really better go… I was only supposed to tell you to meet him at the diner down the street from the bar that we were at the other night, and asked me to tell you to be there twenty minutes from now… I wasn't supposed to tell you anything else… I guess I just wanted to warn you is all, but I shouldn't have. Please don't say anything Toomas." Bane was confused but only for a moment when he realized that Toomas was the name he had given everybody. He was going to have to get used to that.

"Alright little one, I will keep your secret. I best be on my way. Maybe one day soon we will speak again darling." He was laying the charm more than he ought to be but he couldn't help himself. He hung up the phone after he heard a chuckle on the other end.

* * *

Bane had just gotten into the seat of the car when his phone rang again. He sighed, what now? He started the car and then answered his phone.

"Aria. What is it now?"

He heard a familiar chuckle followed by a sigh that matched the one he had made just before.

"Bane darling, I had hoped you would check the number before you answer the phone. I don't like to be called by another woman's name." She was teasing him.

His breath hitched lightly and then he relaxed. "Finally decided to reply then, did you?"

"No Bane. There was no need to reply. The words would have been harsh, and I do not wish harshness upon you, I just-"

"Speak them, I want to hear them." Bane interrupted. He cringed directly after, remembering how much that irritated her.

"Okay then. Do not say I am your love when your love belongs to Talia. You may be my love, but I am not yours. And we will not be together my darling, you chose your path, the next time we see each other will only be when you come to try to kill me, like so many others before you." His stomach lurched at Talia's name and the mention of people attempting to take her life. Then a thought occurred to him.

"My love does not belong to Talia, at least not the way you think it does. I only chose the path that you put me on. My life was, still is, and always will be in your hands. That is all I will say. But I will never even try to kill you. But I must ask you, if you long for death the way to implied, why do you still live if people keep trying to kill you?" Bane was beyond curious with this woman.

"Well, the reason I saved you is also the exact same reason I keep myself alive. I could not let you die because that would be parallel to killing you myself. I cannot just stand by and let someone take my life because that would be parallel to taking my own life. I only take life if it is absolutely unavoidable and if they try to take mine, and even then, I cannot feel that to be justified."

_Interesting…_

"Okay my dear, I understand. But I must go…" Bane was already half way there when he realized he shouldn't be speaking with her on the phone when he arrives. Somebody could be watching him. And like she already knew what was running through his mind, she contradicted him.

"Bane, I assure you, I will hang up when necessary. No body is following you. Aria got off the phone with her father just before I called you. Her father was also on the phone with his men before Aria even called you. The traps are simple, meaning that they think you are simple. Let them believe it. Act gracious but also with a sense of pride. Hold your back straight and nod at anything he says. Charm him with your ability. They are going to have people attack you, to test you. You must be ready. Be on your guard my love. I must go now. Good luck, I will keep in contact until you have found your place among them." Then she hung up. Apparently she wasn't into saying goodbye this time. That tugged at his heart strings as well as the fact that if things go well, they will never see each other again and he will never hear her voice on the other end of the phone. He missed her.

When he approached the diner, he hopped out of the car and stepped cautiously but not obviously. _You must be ready._ He hadn't brought any weapons but he was sure if they brought guns into the equation, it would not be hard to acquire one. He took a deep breath and stepped in the door.


	5. The Job Interview

**A/N: Sorry for taking so long! Things are getting really busy round here and I have barely had time to sleep let alone post. Had this done for a while but had to spell/grammar check before I could have even thought of posting. This chapter is pretty short I think and I am sorry about that. I decided I needed to move the story along a bit faster than I was so if something seems a little unrealistic, it probably is. Please review for me guys! I just wanna know what you guys think of my little story here.**

* * *

The moment he stepped through the door he was being charged at. The first thing to cross his mind was that he must be a little rusty in the intimidation factor if they are coming at him so aggressively, as if he was just another face. That thought was enough to fuel his reciprocating aggression. There were three men coming at him and then he noticed the man moving quietly behind him. Bane smirked with a sense of excitement, but he also made himself remain calm. Four men? That's damn near insulting. And by the time the first three got to him, he moved simultaneously. He grabbed the one on the left by the neck and did the same to the man on the right. He lifted his leg in a kick the the middle mans head and all at the same time that his foot connected with mans face, ripping it to the side and effectively breaking the mans neck, he contracted his hands around the men's throats and he could feel their spines crushing at the neck and the men spurted blood out of their mouths. Without even turning, he reached behind him and swung the fourth around. He shoved his fist into the mans throat effectively rupturing his trachea and the major arteries simultaneously. All four of them lay dead on the floor at his feet. Bane still felt calm and apparently it showed because when he looked around to see if anybody else was coming at him, he only saw terrified looks. He continued to look around the room until he laid his eyes on a man that looked terribly familiar. The mans mouth was quirked into a smile but it didn't reach his eyes. Bane nodded his head at him. He couldn't put a finger on it but the man was gut wrenchingly familiar. So was the mans name.

"Mr. Ambislov." Bane paused his speech unsure of what he wanted to say, but he decided to just continue with nothing too revealing. "You know it isn't very fair for four men to attack only one man, and an unarmed man at that. But I suppose life isn't all that fair is it?" He let his words digest before continuing. "I must insist though, that next time you don't take it upon yourself to insult me by using only four men. My ego is much too fragile for that." Bane then whipped his head to the side, disarmed the man that was trying to be silent of his knife and embedded the blade into the mans skull through his temple. Bane laughed inwardly. _Didn't I just tell them that it would be better to attack in numbers? _Bane showed no expression on his face as he turned his head back to Ambislov. The man had yet to speak a word. Bane decided on making one last attempt before leaving. "Sorry for the men. I don't usually make a habit of killing for sport but I have yet to see a reason not to kill them since they have so blindly attempted to kill me."

"So you have a conscience Mr. Bronson. That is a valuable asset to a man in my eyes. Have a seat." The man gestured to the seat across the table from him. Bane stared the man in the eyes and proceeded to move to the seat. Once he was seated, he continued to study the man in front of him. His eyes suddenly became more readable. Bane looked him in the eyes and noticed that the man was trying desperately hard and failing, at least to him, to hide a look of anticipation.

"So, Mr. Bronson. I did not mean to insult you with my poor planning, but my daughter did not express how… skilled you are." Ambislov studied him just as much as he was studying him. "You look familiar. Have we met?" The question was the exact same as the one that Bane himself wanted to ask.

"I would like to say yes, but I cannot be sure. You do have a familiar… look about you Mr. Ambislov." Bane replied while reminding himself to withhold anything too revealing in regards to himself or Adeleigh.

"Oh dear, call me Ivan if you would." This surprisingly didn't catch Bane off guard with his remark. He almost expected the man to demand an air of comfort, although he could still see the look of anticipation.

"Alright, Ivan, I, in return, would ask you to drop the prefix. Just Bronson will do, and now that we have social niceties out of the way, could you please explain why you invited me here only to attack me?" Bane already knew they were just testing him, but he felt it necessary to hear it from the man, or at least have it confirmed. "Were you testing me?"

"Oh, you are not only a practiced fighter, but also an intellectual. Alright then,  
I was indeed testing you, I would like to see if you would be suitable to work for me. But first, I need to know more about you." Bane scolded himself for even having the slightest inclination that he wouldn't have to reveal anything important. He decided that all he could do was to reveal small things, nothing about Adeleigh.

"What is it that you would like to know, Ivan?"

"Well, Bronson, I would like to know about you. We will start with the Basics. Where are you from?"

Bane was cringing on the inside. "I hail from many places, but as you must be able to deduce from my accent, I am an Englishmen." So it wasn't exactly a lie, his parents were from England, and he was raised by his mother.

"That is not an answer of where you are from." Bane smirked.

"It appears that you too are an intellectual. Well, I will not go any further than telling you that I am not from England, and that I was born and raised in a place much worse than what my heritage would suggest."

Ivan nodded. "Where did you acquire your… talents?"

"Simply training." Again Ivan nodded.

"And why is it that I cannot find any record of you?" Bane smirked again.

"Perhaps it is because I don't want to be found?"

"Well that just wont do. I cannot offer you anything if I do not know anything about you, can I? Is Toomas Bronson even your real name?" Bane smirked, yet again at this.

"Ivan, what makes you think I want you to offer me anything? I came out of curiosity because I recognized your name and decided that perhaps we were acquainted. My history is none of your concern in all reality. Whether or not my name is Toomas Bronson is irrelevant. Can a name really change who the person is? Does it change what they've done or what they have experienced? Does it completely change who the individual is as a person? If you want to know me, then all you have to do is simply ask the right questions." Bane paused for a moment. "And I would appreciate it if you called off you men seeing as I have already disposed of five today and I really don't feel like disposing of them again."

Ivan looked shocked that Bane had detected the men moving silently outside the window that was behind him. 'How could he have known?' was the question nagging at his brain.

"Alright," He waved off the men. "Important questions you say? Where do your loyalties lay?"

Bane responded without hesitation. "They lay with the innocent."

Ivan seemed to be pleased with the response. "Would you do anything for them?"

"Yes indeed. Like I said, I do not kill for sport, I kill to protect. If I can kill one evil man and by doing so save even ten innocent, I would not hesitate. Although I do find it rather frustrating at peoples definition of innocence." Bane was speaking with ease now.

"Do you view yourself as an evil man, Bronson?" Bane outwardly chuckled.

"Why yes, I do. But I am a necessary evil."

"How would you define an innocent?" Bane was not expecting that question but did not show his surprise.

"An innocent… well that would be easy. An innocent is someone who has not been corrupted, but I must warn you, I do not speak of drug use or views on mundane things. I speak about those who have been corrupted by wealth and power. Men and women who step on the backs of the _inferior_ so to speak to get what they want, but innocence also evades those who deep that corruption acceptable. Innocent people are a dying breed Ivan." Bane was sarcastic as he referenced the employees and bottom rung people as inferior. He found himself desperately hoping that Adeleigh had not sent him to someone who swung the word innocent around loosely. He felt relieved at he saw the way Ivan's eyes lit up, but immediately felt his guard raise when it occurred to him that he may not be lit up with approval.

"It seems as though you and I were cut from the same cloth. Tell me, how did this opinion come to be?"

"That story may be a bit to revealing as to my upbringing… but I will tell you some." Bane decided to just change a few things while he spoke. "Growing up in the conditions that I did, I would hear stories of men who would… cleanse the world of people who did not exactly hold humanity in high regard. They called them evil men, but I used to call them monsters as a child. Not the monsters most children pictured like goblins or dragons, I pictured men. Men who you would view as corrupt. These stories filled my head with hope that when I got away, I would become one of those cleansing people."

"But then why do you regard yourself as evil?"

Bane chuckled. "I see myself as a necessary evil. When I finally opened my eyes to the horrors of the world, I came to realize that in order to cleanse the world of these men, I would have to become one, only with different motives."

Ivan appeared to be entranced by bane speaking. When he finally spoke, his words were almost pleasing to Bane.

"I do think myself rather fond of you, though we will have to see what happens in the future. You seem to be a man who demands respect but can also convey it. I should point out that you have every right to demand it as well. You impress me Bronson. I think I may have something for you. A job very dear to my heart. What would you say if I told you I could give you the resources to resume… cleansing as you call it?"

"I would say that it would please me. But I don't believe in hierarchy. I believe in equality. I have only ever done it once but as it stands now, I am not and will never submit to have a boss."

Ivan nodded. "Admirable. Alright then. Would you want to call us partners? You are the perfect specimen to take care of a long standing job that seemingly, until now, cannot be done."

Bane acted as though he was contemplating even though he knew without a doubt that he was going to agree.

"Ivan, I suppose we have a deal… for now. I must warn you that I don't usually like to be too tied down for long."

"Ahhh, perfect!" Ivan practically yelled in excitement. "Your final test will be this apparently impossible job. I do recall you saying that woman too can be corrupt? Well this woman is the best. But also terribly evil and not in a necessary way."

Bane felt his skin begin to crawl, but he wasn't sure why. He had dealt with women before.

"And who is this woman and what are her crimes?"

He watched Ivan smirk again.

"She is someone who used to be quite dear to me. She used to work for me, but one day she just… disappeared. Since then, every time one of us finds her, she returns them to me in only the form of their severed heads. Quite ghastly if you ask me. For years she has taken it upon herself to not only neglect her duty but also take out the men who have taken her place."

_Adeleigh…_ Bane suddenly knew why his skin was crawling, but he made sure not to express any inclination that he knew who the man was speaking of.

"And her name?" Bane was glad that the tone in his voice somehow managed to stay void of any emotion.

"Her name you might recognize, do you know of anyone by the name of Adeleigh Hagan?"

Bane felt something sink in his chest. He pretended to wrack his brain and then fake enlightenment. "I know of the name. She was one of the people that I had heard stories about as a child. I was under the impression that she was just a myth. Nobody would dare abandon their duty to humanity in such a manner, or at least I would not." Bane was lying through his teeth but he had to do what he had to do.

"I assure you she is not a myth. She was a gift to me, I acquired her as child. She was bred and trained to fulfil her duties but she has completely abandoned me. I would ask you not to kill her, but to bring her to me. She is very important to me and I need her alive. Could you do that for me?"

Bane replied without hesitation. "Of course Ivan. Just tell me where she is. I will retrieve her."

"She just recently arrived in Toronto." _Canada…_

"Very well then. I will be on my way. You know how to contact me. Send me any information I will need and you will have your girl sooner rather than later." All Bane could think about was that he would get to see Adeleigh again. And then he realized that this man was the one she was running from. Bane started to seethe with anger, but managed to quell it for the time being.

"Bronson, you are not one to dally. That is yet another admirable trait. You will have the info upon arrival. It will be sent to this address in Toronto." He slipped Bane a card. "My contact information is on there as well as the address you will need is written on the back. And Bronson?"

Bane nodded to the man to continue, afraid to use his words.

"She is not a girl. She is a woman. So much so that I have yet to meet a man who can handle her. Myself included. Be careful. She is dangerous."

With that Bane nodded what he hoped would be a final time. He stood up and went to leave. Thankfully he was charged again by a group of seven men, as he felt the burning need to let out some anger. They were all dead within nine seconds. _Am I getting sloppy? _He turned and nodded yet again to Ivan and swiftly left.

When he got to the car he checked it over. He was thankful he did because he found a handful of wires and three bombs throughout his vehicle. He hopped in and drove off. He left the city and just kept driving. When he was far enough away, he stopped in another city, found new transportation, purchased a new cellular device, and left again. An hour later he had somewhat calmed down. He pulled out his new phone and punched in a number he had already memorized.

'I'm in with Ivan but I don't think for long. He is sending me after you. My first assignment is to retrieve you. I can't do it my love. I just cant.'

He sent the message and waited for a response. His phone rang.

"Yes."

"Are you alone?" It was Adeleigh.

"Yes."

"Are you going to come after me?"

"No."

"Very well. Follow his instructions. I will be gone when you get here. Continue on as if nothing is wrong."

"Okay."

"I will contact you in time with where we can find each other. Until then my love." And the line went dead.

Banes heart did not only skip a beat but must have completely changed rhythms. He would get to see her.

* * *

**A/N: Starting to feel my interest lulling about this story. Please feel free to tell me where you think things will or should go. I already have the major plot twist for Bane but beyond that, nothing is set in stone. (:**


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